Court Hears Russian Spy in UK Allegedly Discussed Journalist’s Assassination

A court has been informed that an individual who confessed to espionage for Russia within the UK deliberated on the potential assassination of a journalist who exposed Russian connections to the 2018 Salisbury attack. Orlin Roussev reportedly communicated in 2021 regarding plans to target Christo Grozev, a Bulgarian national and an investigative journalist associated with the ‘Bellingcat’ group. Roussev, 46, residing in Great Yarmouth, along with Biser Dzhambazov, 43, from London, have confessed to conspiracy to spy. Their admissions of guilt became publicly reportable for the first time on Thursday. At the commencement of a trial involving three additional alleged spies, jurors at the Old Bailey were apprised of these convictions. Katrin Ivanova, 33, Vanya Gaberova, 30, and Tihomir Ivanchev, 39, all based in London, deny an accusation of conspiracy to spy. Ms Ivanova further denies the possession of numerous false identity documents. Prosecutor Alison Morgan KC informed the court that Roussev and Dzhambazov had previously acknowledged their involvement in the identical espionage activity. Ms Morgan stated that the three defendants currently on trial are accused of having engaged in espionage for the advantage of Russia, “an enemy of the UK”, during the period spanning 2020 and 2023. She further mentioned that they aimed to collect intelligence concerning various targets, encompassing both individuals and sites, which were of specific relevance to the Russian state. The jury was informed that communications exchanged among the defendants indicated their operation as a “team”, operating under Roussev’s guidance, and that he, subsequently, obtained directives from Jan Marsalek, who functioned as an “intermediary for the Russian intelligence services”. The court was told that Marsalek is an Austrian national and can “properly be described as a Russian agent”. It was revealed in court that a Great Yarmouth guesthouse inhabited by Roussev was “packed” with technical apparatus employed for espionage. Throughout the duration of the alleged conspiracy, the collective possessed 221 mobile phones, 258 hard drives, 495 SIM cards, 33 audio recording devices, 55 visual recording devices, 11 drones, 16 radios, and three IMSI grabbers – which are highly technical pieces of equipment that allow for data about devices being used nearby to be captured and exploited. Furthermore, they possessed Wi-Fi eavesdropping devices and jammers, along with 75 passports and identity documents, including 55 bearing other individuals’ names, the court was informed. Ms Morgan stated that the defendants demonstrated “sophisticated in their methodology; carrying out surveillance activity of individuals and places; manufacturing and using false identities and deploying advanced technology to acquire information”. She mentioned that the defendants had “obtained imagery” and “compiled detailed reports on their targets”. She asserted, “They were paid significant sums of money for their actions. And they all knew why they were being tasked to conduct their operations. Their activity was being undertaken for the direct or indirect benefit of Russia.” Ms Morgan indicated that the prosecution intends to focus on six “key operations” executed by the defendants, with each individual participating in a minimum of two of these operations. These operations pertained to targeted individuals or locations. She explained that while it was not contested that the defendants conducted surveillance activities, jurors would need to ascertain, for each defendant, the motive behind their surveillance. Ms Morgan remarked that the evidence presented demonstrated “high level espionage with high levels of deceit”, and all three defendants positioned themselves in proximity to “real life targets, real people”, recording them and acquiring data with advanced equipment. The prosecutor further stated that direct engagement with targets was contemplated, for instance, through the deployment of the female defendants as a “honey trap, as sexual bait to capture more information from the targets”. Operation 1 Jurors were informed that this operation focused on Mr Grozev. He notably revealed Russian connections to the 2018 Salisbury attack. The court was told that, in 2021, Jan Marsalek and Roussev communicated via messages, deliberating on their alternatives concerning Mr Grozev, which included positioning team members in adjacent seats on aircraft. They also considered potentially robbing him of his laptop and phone and transporting them to the Russian Embassy, incinerating his possessions, abducting him and conveying him to Moscow, or killing him. Operation 2 This operation allegedly targeted Roman Dobrokhotov in November 2022. He is a Russian investigative journalist and the founder of the media outlet ‘The Insider’. He was compelled to escape Russia after being apprehended and subsequently stripped of his passport. Operation 3 This operation focused on an individual named Bergey Ryskaliyev in November 2021, the court was informed. Mr Ryskaliyev is a Kazakhstan national and a former politician. He sought refuge in the United Kingdom, where he was subsequently granted asylum. The court heard that a clear motivation exists and existed for Russia to cultivate relations with Kazakhstan. Prosecutors stated that targeting a political dissident on behalf of Kazakhstan fosters these relations by offering Kazakhstan what it might perceive as aid. Operation 4 This operation allegedly involved planning disruptive actions at the Kazakh embassy in London in September 2022. The court was informed that the scheme involved orchestrating a demonstration outside the embassy – a “fake protest” – to establish a false impression that they possessed authentic intelligence regarding those accountable, which they would then transmit to Kazakhstan intelligence in an attempt to curry favour with Kazakhstan on Russia’s behalf. Operation 5 This operation involved alleged surveillance at the Patch Barracks, a US Military Base located in Stuttgart in late 2022. This is a US military airbase, which jurors were told the defendants believed to be a site where Ukrainian forces were receiving training in the deployment of surface-to-air weapons, precisely during Russia’s invasion into Ukraine. Prosecutors assert that the defendants’ strategy was to target the airbase employing a variety of highly sophisticated technology crafted to acquire crucial intelligence regarding individuals present on the base. Operation 6 Jurors were informed that this plan focused on an individual named Kirill Kachur. He is a Russian national who resided in Montenegro, was employed by the Investigative Committee of Russia, but departed the country in 2021 and was labeled a “foreign agent” by Russia in November 2023.